My thoughts on the Phillies season.

Barajas haunts the Phils via the long ball, help knocks the Phils out of first place.

Rod Barajas, who played for the Phillies last year, would return to haunt the Fightin’s as he helped the Blue Jays defeat the Phils by hitting two home runs, one of which was a grand slam home run, as he knocks in five of the Blue Jays’ runs in their 6-3 win over the Phils. The lost to the Blue Jays would put the Phils back into second place in the National League East. Barajas would start the damage in the second inning as he hit a grand slam home run, his second home run of the year, off of losing pitcher Adam Eaton, making it 4-0 Blue Jays, knocking in Matt Stairs, who got on base by being hit by the pitch, Lyle Overbay and Marco Scutaro, who both singled. The Phils would get a run back in the fourth on a Greg Dobbs’ RBI double off of Blue Jays’ starter A.J. Burnett, scoring Geoff Jenkins, who has earlier singled. The Phils would make it a 4-3 ball game in the bottom of the seventh, on a RBI double by Jimmy Rollins, off of Armando Benitez, who has come in in relief of Burnett, knocking in Dobbs, who has earlier singled, and Shane Victorino, who has walked. One of the two runs would be charged to Burnett and the other to Benitez. But the Blue Jays would then strike back in the ninth inning, scoring two runs off of reliever Tom Gordon, with the first run coming on Barajas’ second home run of the night, his third home run of the year, making it 5-3 Blue Jays. The Blue Jays’ last run would come on a ground single to Rollins by Hector Luna, which would be misplayed by Ryan Howard, with Aaron Hill, who has moved to third on the ground ball, scoring on Howard’s fielding error. B.J. Ryan would then come in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning for the Blue Jays, ending the game as he records his eighth save of the season.

Last night’s game could have been a lot worst if not for the fact that Phillies’ fielders were able to throw out three Blue Jays’ runners out at the plate.

The Phils’ losing pitcher would be Adam Eaton, who would pitch five innings, giving up four earned runs, all on Barajas’ grand slam home run, on eight hits. His record is now 0-2 with a ERA of 5.59. Ryan Madson would pitch two innings of relief, giving up no runs on no hits. J.C. Romero would pitch two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs on one hit. Tom Gordon would go two-thirds of an inning as well, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Rudy Seanez would also pitch two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs on no hits. Blue Jays’ starter A.J. Burnett would get the win as he would go six and one-third innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits. His record is now 4-4 with an ERA of 4.71. Armando Benitez would go a third of an inning, giving up an earned run on one hit. Scott Downs would pitch an inning and a third, giving up no runs on no hits. B.J. Ryan would get his eighth save as he pitches an inning, giving up no runs on one hit.

The lost put the Phils (24-20) back into second place in the National League East, trailing the Marlins by a game, who won their game last night against the Royals. The Phils are once again a game ahead of the Mets, who had won their games against the Yankees and two games ahead of the Braves, who lost their game with the Athletics. The Phils hope to regain a tie for first place, as the Marlins are presently losing their game with the Royals. The Phils are presently leading the Blue Jays after one inning, 2-0, but the game is presently in the middle of a rain delay.

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